Vehicle-wheel and method of manufacturing same.



H. M. FOULKE.

VEHICLE WHEEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME.

APPLICATION EILEDDEC. 7. 19M.

1,144,116. Pamnted June 22,1915.

awvawtoz THE NORRIS PETERS co PHOTO-LATHQ, WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE M. FOULKE, OF OSHKOSI-I, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE J'. L. CLARK CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application filed December 7, 1914. Serial No. 875,915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HORACE M. FoULKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the county of WVinnebago and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- VVheels and Methods of Manufacturing Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the manufacture of vehicles such as carriages and wagons, but has reference more particularly to fellies or rims for vehicle-wheels, and to a novel and improved method of constructing such wheels.

It has for its object primarily the production of wheels possessing great strength and durability.

As a further object this invention contemplates the employment of a novel method and means for securing wheel-spokes into wheel-fellies so as to positively prevent cracking or splitting of such fellies longitudinally between spoke holes.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to wheelwrights and persons skilled in the art to which it relates.

The invention will be hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application for Letters Patent, and whereon corresponding numerals indicate like parts in the several illustrations: Figure 1 is a fragmentary View showing in side elevation a segment of a circular wheel felly with a fragment of one spoke radially attached. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the invention showing a fragment of a wheel felly, a spoke tenon, an empty rivet hole at one side of the said tenon having at opposite ends depressions or indentations formed in the sides of the felly and also a rivet at the opposite side of said tenon in position with its bur applied and ready for upsetting. Fig. 3 is a view corresponding with Fig. 2, except that both rivets are here shown set in finished relation. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through one end of one rivet and its riveting bur, as shown at the upper right side of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a view corresponding with Fig. 4, except that the rivet has here been finally set by swaging,

' as shown at the upper right side of Fig. 3.

Reference being had to the drawings and numerals thereon, 1 indicates the circular wheel-felly or rim of a wheel, and 2 one of a series of radial spokes having a tenon 3 at its outer end, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, mortised neatly into the felly 1 as usual in wheel structures. It is well un derstood that the wood employed in wheel fellies and spokes is carefully selected as to toughness and density of grain, hard woods, such as hickory, being preferred. It is also well known that Wheelwrights and manufacturers are constantly experiencing increased difliculties in obtaining the timber best suited for their uses, and least likely to split and crack with the grain.

To meet these conditions the present invention contemplates and provides for the employment of reinforcing rivets such as 4, 4, running transversely through the wheel felly 1, upon both sides of all spoke holes and spoke tenons 3. As will be seen by the drawings these rivets 4 are each formed with a button or dome head 5, and are provided at their leading or opposite ends with a correspondingly shaped perforated riveting bur 6 cupped as at 7 to accommodate the rivet end when finally up-set or swaged into place.

In applying these rivets 4, or equivalent reinforcing members, to a wheel felly as aforesaid, the following method of operation is preferred: The felly or rim 1 is first bored transversely upon both sides of each spoke hole, and at a suitable distance therefrom as indicated, the diameter of these borings being determined by that of the rivets 4 to be used. By the use of a suitable tool (not shown) the fiber 8 of the wooden felly 1 is thereupon compressed as shown by Figs. 2, 3, and more clearly by enlarged Figs. 4 and 5, to form a countersink for reception of the head 5 and bur 6 of each rivet 4, without actually breaking the fiber 8 and consequently weakening the felly as would be the case by counter-boring.

By reference to Fig. 4 particularly, it will be seen that the depressions or seats for the dome heads and dome shaped riveting burs produced in opposite sides of the felly 1 by compression as aforesaid, are each formed upon a slightly larger radius than that of the rivet heads and burs which they are respectively designed to receive. Under these conditions, rivets 4 are inserted as shown at the right side of Fig. 2, whereupon the advance end of each is swaged securely into the cup shaped depression 7 of its particular bur 6, and drawn down to final position, thus subjecting the wood-grain or fiber to still further compression when the rivet head and bur are finally seated, as shown by Figs. 3 and This accomplished, the rivet ends are dressed by application of an emery wheel, or other means, flush with the sides of felly l as shown, thus completing the operation.

The method of construction being substantially as above described, it will be noted that the constant tendency of fiber 8 is to return to its original position beneath the heads and burs of rivets 4. As a conse quence the rivets themselves are at all times under slight longitudinal tension, thereby insuring a remarkably snug fit, and compensating for some shrinkage in the felly 1 if made from wood which is more or less green When milled. Obviously water and moisture, to which the exterior of wheel fellies are frequently subjected, only promotes this tendency of fiber 8 to return to its original position with the results and advantages above mentioned. Moreover, it will be noted that wheels may be constructed substantially as hereinbefore described, with preferably flush smooth rivet heads and burs resting in felly depressions previously formed by compressing the wood fiber in contradistinction to cutting it, and that when so constructed fellies are not only materially reinforced in point of strength between spokes, but are prevented from checking or cracking circumferentially, and what is more the fibers so compressed are positively held down by the rivet heads and burs to prevent sprouting around the edges of said heads and burs, thus overcoming a difficulty heretofore experienced in heavy rims or fellies where the heads and burs of transverse bolts or rivets have been inset by means of depressions actually cut into the sides of the felly by the ordinary countersinking tool.

In the lighter class of vehicles it has heretofore been the practice wherever in wheel fellies transversely arranged bolts or rivets have been used for one purpose or another, to allow such heads and burs to project, this practice, however, in addition to being clumsy and unsightly, resulted in obstructions which seriously interfered with color striping or finishing the wheel, such obstructions also threw mud and dirt from the road bed, they frequently scraped paint and varnish from other wheels or vehicles, and finally became rusty and unsightly.

To overcome these difliculties by countersinking the heads and burs of rivets 5 without actually breaking the fiber of the wooden felly around said heads and burs was therefore an object of the present structure and method of operation.

In practice, the reinforcing of felly 1 by agency of the rivets 4:, l is at all times effectual, and in the event of abnormal lateral strains upon the felly caused by the leverage of spokes 2, as for example, when a wheel is dished these same rivets are designed and admirably adapted to arrest, if indeed they should not actually prevent, splitting of the felly between spoke holes. And, while this invention has been hereinbefore set forth as an improvement in vehicle-wheels it should be understood that it is equally well adapted to wooden wheels generally regardless of the uses for which they are intended, such for example, as steeringwheels, or pulleywheels, and to all such embodying the present invention, claim is made the same as if set forth and described.

Having thus described one satisfactory embodiment of my improvements in Wheels and method of making same, it should be understood that I do not consider myself limited to the exact form, construction and arrangement of parts, or method steps, shown and set forth; on the contrary, same may be variously changed Without departing from the spirit of my invention, or materially altering the results accomplished.

That which I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, therefore, is:

1. A wooden wheel felly having radial recesses for the reception of spoke ends and also perforated transversely by rivet holes upon both sides of each of said recesses, in combination with reinforcing rivets located in said rivet holes, and surface indentations of unbroken fiber formed in opposite sides of the wheel felly adapted to receive the ends of said reinforcing rivets when swaged therein.

2. A method of fastening spokes into wooden wheel fellies including the following steps, namely, boring the wheel felly radially and transversely, compressing the fiber of said felly to form surface indentations unbroken except by said transverse borings, introducing spoke ends into said radial borings and reinforcing rivets into said transverse borings upon both sides of each spoke, and finally swaging the ends of said rivets into the indentations thus formed.

3. The method of reinforcing Wheel fellies which consists in the following steps, namely, boring the wheel felly transversely to receive reinforcing rivets, compressing the wood fiber to receive the rivet ends, and

radius than that of the indentations which receive them, and swaging said heads and burs into their respective indentations flush with the surface of the felly.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, 15 in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE M. FOULKE.

swaging the ends of said rivets into the depressions thus formed.

4. A method of making wooden wheel fellies including the following steps, namely, boring the wheel felly to receive reinforcing rivets, indenting the wood fiber to receive the rivet ends, introducing rivets with inverted dome-shaped heads and similarly Witnesses: shaped removable burs the convex surfaces WM. PRIEBE, of which are struck upon a slightly shorter H. I. WEED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

